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Review: Sleepy Hollow 2.17 - Awakening

Henry’s back and up to no good, and this time he’s got Katrina on his side. There was that ominous thorn-pricking moment where it looked as though she’d unknowingly signed a blood pact- like Frank- but at the end of the episode it still seemed that Katrina acted of her own free will. Which I’m really excited about. I’ve been championing for evil Katrina since day one. Henry and Katrina have teamed up, and seek to awaken the descendants of witches living in Sleepy Hollow to join their coven. They talk a big game about how marginalized they are and how it’s their time to rise up and quit living in the shadows. But Henry is straight evil, and either Katrina’s forgotten that or she’s down with it. (Or her soul’s possessed, but again, that’s unclear.)

There’s a historic bell in Sleepy Hollow that Henry uses in his first attempt to awaken the witches. The bell was cast from the same mould as the Liberty Bell, and has been sitting on display in Sleepy Hollow for centuries. A spell causes the bell to toll and the witches to stir, but as Henry’s half-mortal (thanks a lot, Ichabod) he needs Katrina’s power to get the job done. Abbie saves the day in the nick of time: Henry can now be killed, and apparently all it takes is a distraction and a bullet. Katrina blames Ichabod for everything that went wrong with their son and in this moment is the Katrina I’ve been waiting for. Powerful, scary, crazed… I love her. She’s been incredibly underwhelming until now.

Sleepy Hollow 2.17 Awakening 2-19-15Meanwhile Jenny does her best to keep Frank distracted. His soul does belong to Henry, and he’s evil now, and there’s no real way to stop him. A few shots to the chest don’t take him down, and their solution is to Medusa his ass. Jenny hesitates though, and it’s a good thing, since when Henry dies Frank’s soul becomes his own again. Amazingly, Frank comes out of this episode alive.

Katrina’s reaction to Henry’s death is to begin a spell that looks a bit terrifying, all smoke and light. Abbie tries to stop her, and then they both disappear. It’s a blatant but beautiful parallel to the beginning of this entire show: Abbie finds herself in colonial Sleepy Hollow, and almost immediately is stopped by authorities and put into jail. She’s basically screwed, since not only is she a woman who won’t take crap from anyone, but she’s black and the year is 1781. If anyone could get out of this it’s Abbie Mills, but I’m still scared for her.

I am beyond glad that Ichabod is finally over protecting Henry and “saving his soul” and all that nonsense that got us very close to the apocalypse. Katrina’s continued defense of her son is annoying, but I love evil Katrina and I’m really hoping her soul and her choices are truly her own. Frank is freed and Henry is gone (for now). I’ve enjoyed John Noble’s portrayal of this Henry-Jeremy character. Evil, immortal old man who’s really just a lost boy looking for someone to love him. It’s tragic and twisted and well done.

Ichabod was delightful in this episode, particularly endearing when they were shopping for bomb supplies. And that heartbreaking moment when Abbie’s car blew up- at Katrina’s hand no less- and Ichabod thought Abbie was inside was painful and especially upsetting.


Score: 4/5


Watch Sleepy Hollow on Fox, Mondays at 9/8c.